Obama v. Israel, cont'd

1/15/13 3:40 PM EST

The White House is not denying a report that President Obama repeatedly said that "Israel doesn’t know what its own best interests are."

The comment, reported in a Bloomberg View column by Jeffrey Goldberg on Monday, came after the administration of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced it would advance plans for settlements in the West Bank following recognition by the United Nations in November of the Palestinan Authority as an observer "state."

"When informed about the Israeli decision, Obama, who has a famously contentious relationship with the prime minister, didn’t even bother getting angry. He told several people that this sort of behavior on Netanyahu’s part is what he has come to expect, and he suggested that he has become inured to what he sees as self-defeating policies of his Israeli counterpart," Goldberg wrote. "In the weeks after the UN vote, Obama said privately and repeatedly, 'Israel doesn’t know what its own best interests are.' With each new settlement announcement, in Obama’s view, Netanyahu is moving his country down a path toward near-total isolation."

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, in a statement to POLITICO on Tuesday, did not confirm or deny that Obama made the comment "or what was allegedly discussed in private meetings."

"The President has been clear in stating what he believes is a realistic basis for successful negotiations, and we will continue to base our efforts on that approach," Vietor said. "He has also consistently stated that the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security is unwavering, and he has backed up this commitment with tangible action."

Obama has been openly critical of Israeli settlement activity in the past. In 2010, he said, "This kind of activity is never helpful when it comes to peace negotiations," and suggested it undermined trust necessary for the peace process. The remarks prompted a chilly exchange with Netanyahu.

Vietor said Tuesday that the United States "has been and remains committed to the goal of achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians."

"The President has been very clear in stating what he believes is a realistic basis for successful negotiations, and we will continue to base our efforts on that approach," he said. "It is in Israel’s interest to pursue peace.

"Both parties need to get serious and resume direct talks to work through the difficult issues that divide them and make meaningful progress toward a lasting peace. We need to be focused on productive action that will move the parties toward direct negotiations. The United States will continue to support both parties vigorously in such efforts."

In a New York Times report published last week, Israeli President Shimon Peres said he believes that Obama doesn't think Israel wants peace.

"The problem is that Obama would like to reach peace in the Middle East and has to be convinced that Israel agrees with this," Peres said, according to the Times.